“Debbie! Debbie! Debbie!”

It was a fitting celebration for Shultz, who came up with ice in her veins and as clutch as could be in a pressure-packed closing final seconds.

Rewind a few days ago, and Shultz had a chance in Saturday’s game to put away a goal late, but missed a shot. She told coach Beckham Sibiski later that evening she was going to make up for it in their next game on Tuesday against Montoursville.

Consider that mission accomplished for Shultz.

Breah Phillips of Williamsport takes a big stride before taking a shot on goal against Montoursville at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The Williamsport senior was fed a ball from Breah Phillips and scored a game-winning goal in double overtime with just 19 seconds to play in the game, scoring from inside the 18 to give Williamsport an exciting 2-1 double overtime win against rival Montoursville at Balls Mills on a foggy, rainy night.

When asked if she was glad to have been able to put in that game-winner after having missed some time due to a concussion, Shultz was ecstatic to be the one to score.

“Oh my gosh, yeah. On Saturday, I missed a shot and then tonight I made the winning one, so it kind of makes up for it,” Shultz said with a smile. “It kind of just came to me and I hit it, and I was like if this doesn’t go in, I’m going to start crying because it needed to go in and we needed to win. I was so tired, my calf was cramping, and I was like this has to go in or I’m going to cry or something. It just kind of came to me.”

The game-winning goal was the highlight of a night which featured some outstanding soccer between Montoursville and Williamsport in a game that both teams had chances to put away and more than gave fans their money’s worth for excitement.

“We’re proud of our kids. They played really hard tonight and they played their hearts out. Unfortunately, we had a couple unlucky bounces that cost us. We had opportunities to score throughout the night. They just capitalized on one and that caused us to struggle in overtime a little bit,” Montoursville coach Vic Gorini said. “But overall, we’re proud of the girls. They put in a good effort. We just didn’t clean up the touches on the finishing ends.”

Kenna Bennett (18) of Montoursville celebrates her game tying goal in the first half against Williamsport at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Williamsport scored with 16:24 to play in the first half to break open the scoreless game at that point when Jaelynn Helmrich had a shot 20 yards out after being sent a ball by Phillips and shot it to the left post for a 1-0 lead. Williamsport played well defensively and didn’t give up any breakaways against Montoursville, but the Warriors struck when time wasn’t on their side.

With just four seconds remaining until halftime, Montoursville’s Kenna Bennett got inside of the 18 and rifled a shot just past Williamsport’s keeper to tie the game in exciting fashion and make it a tied game going into the break.

“That was really big. Kenna just does everything for us. We’re moving her all over the place,” Gorini said. “She goes from our back line to up top and she’s just a player that e rely on to play many roles.”

Entering the halftime break, Sibiski told his team not to let Montoursville’s goal shift momentum away and to play with the same intensity as the first half against a good Montoursville team.

“Obviously you never wanna see that happen, obviously they heard it from me first and I said we can’t let that deflate us. We can’t let them continue with any momentum,” Sibiski noted. “I thought we did a great job plateauing their momentum and made it an even-keel game. To come out on top so late into overtime is such a great feeling.”

Loisa Hofstrom of Williamsport has her shot blocked by Harlee Hagemeyer of Montoursville at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The first half was even between the two schools. Both teams fired four shots on goal, both teams only had one shot come from inside of the 18, and both teams saw their keepers come up with stops to keep it close. It was more of the same in the second half as well to force overtime.

Williamsport held majority of the possession throughout the second half and limited Montoursville’s opportunities. In the 40 minutes before overtime, Montoursville had just two shots on goal, both coming from Bennett on free kicks from at least 25 yards or further out.

“I knew it was going to be so tough. I didn’t know which way it was going to go, but good thing we found the W,” Shultz said of playing a rival under the lights. “I think we just figured out what worked for us on the sides and kept working it up the field and we got results out of it. We found what works.”

“It’s going to be a rivalry game, it’s going to be aggressive, physical and ultimately it was a great contest,” Sibiski said. “One of the best games I’ve coached and Montoursville put together a great performance. We were fortunate to come out with a win this time.”

Kenna had a free kick in the first half from more than 30 yards out that was put right on frame that McKylee Vollman was able to knock down. And both her second-half free kicks were great shots deep that Vollman had to block.

Jaelynn Helmrich (18) of Williamsport and Becca Teffeteller (6) of Montoursville fight for control of the ball in front of the Montoursville goal at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Her direct kicks are a nice weapon the Warriors can utilize in games like Tuesday where she’s able to force a shot deep.

Bennett had one such kick with six minutes remaining in the first overtime period from the corner of the 18-yard box from just more than 20 yards out. The Warrior had a nice look at the goal, but her shot to the near left post went into the side of the net just wide.

“Kenna’s range and play on the back is one of the reasons even though she’s in the back, she can play direct to our forwards with our range,” Gorini said. “That’s very helpful when you have a new team that’s trying find their way and try to handle the ball. Just playing the ball direct to the front line is just your best option.”

With 3:30 to play in the first overtime period, Shultz had a look at the 18 and sent a shot toward the middle of the net, but saw Abby Strassner come up with the save.

Montoursville’s last chance to put the game away came with just over two minutes showing on the clock. The Warriors’ Vivian Heivley fired from 22 yards out but it was Vollman who got the stop and prevented a game-winner from slipping by her.

Linah van Emrik of Williamsport stops the run at the goal by Regan Aguirre of Montoursville at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Both keepers were big for their teams on Tuesday. Strassner recorded nine saves and Vollman came up with six stops.

“Abby’s really athletic. She’s young, she’s only a sophomore, and she worked really hard all summer,” Gorini said. “She worked really hard in the preseason and we’re really proud of what she’s done.”

Williamsport 2, Montoursville 1 (2 OT)

W–Jaelynn Helmrich (Breah Phillips), 16:24. M–Kenna Bennett, 0:04. W–Deborah Shultz (Phillips), 0:19.

Shots: M 8, W 13. Corners: M 4, W 3. Saves: M 9 (Abby Strassner), W 6 (McKylee Vollman).

Records: Montoursville (3-6), Williamsport (3-6-1).

Jaelynn Helmrich of Williamsport takes a shot on goal against Montoursville at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Loisa Hofstrom of Williamsport Becca Teffeteller of Montoursville fight for control of the ball at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Abby Straussner of Montoursville makes a save against Williamsport at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Adisyn Zangara of Williamsport tries to stop the shot on goal by Faith Berwanger of Montoursville at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Adel Dunkleberger of Montoursville tries to head the ball to team mates as she plays Williamsport at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette